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Posts: 38
Location: Forest Lake, Mn | I know there are always extenuating circumstances but……… On an average size lake with moderate fishing pressure, how long does a musky stay in the same area? (I am talking if you get a blow up or have a follow). Are we talking a day or two or do you think they stay put longer? I am getting the feeling that we are giving up on them to quick and wanted some opinions. Thanks!
WS
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Posts: 646
Location: In a shack in the woods | The bay our cabin is on has 3 musky staying there right now. We have had a low 40's cruising the bay since early may. I have seen it 5 times. I know it's the same fish cuz of scars on it's back. I hooked it two Fridays ago. Last Friday the neighbor watched a guy catch it right in between our docks. I have been seeing it every 3 to 5 days.
Some fish are cruising but for the most part I think they stay until they have to leave.
If you are seeing fish in a spot keep going back. I havebeen finding different fish are using the same areas at different times of the day.
Edited by bassinbob84 6/22/2009 4:49 PM
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | Oh man I don't think there is one answer. Aguides here on the Madison Chain says they are nomadic and don't hang around one spot very long and then there are times when I see the same fish time and time again of a period of a week. If you stuck her, then she may leave and won't return for a while, but then again she might stay and not move.
Bottom line keep fishing that spot, whatever drew her there is either will keep her there, if not others will gravitate there.
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| I think, post spawn, they tend to stay in their favored areas as long as there is lunch, security, and comfortable water temps. |
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Location: Brookfield, WI | firstsixfeet - 6/22/2009 5:18 PM
I think, post spawn, they tend to stay in their favored areas as long as there is lunch, security, and comfortable water temps.
Change the word water to a couch and inside air temps and you just described my post spawn habits.
Kevin
Too freakin' hot, but my daughter took third today in a par three tourney with a 36. Won a little medal. |
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Posts: 233
Location: Iowa | I think there have been some articles written about muskies developing a home range. A muskies home range depends on a few variables. I think one of the main ones is the size of the lake. I can't remember what issue but I think Jim Saric talked about this topic in musky hunter.
If you see a fish on a spot I would keep fishing it. Even if a fish that shows it self to you leaves an area, the chances of another fish moving in or that fish returning later is pretty good.
Jeremy
Edited by jwelch 6/22/2009 10:47 PM
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | Last year we caught the same fish on the same spot 2 weeks apart by 2 different guys. |
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Posts: 38
Location: Forest Lake, Mn | Thanks for the replies. One problem I have is not being able to fish other than weekends. I would stand a lot better chance connecting on a known fish if I could get back to it within a couple of days rather than having a full week elapse. Thanks for all the comments!
WS |
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Posts: 929
Location: Rhinelander. | Not sure but I thought the tracking studies showed some patterns of the fish on the same spots often. If I remember right they will stay on a spot some time and then may roam a long ways only to return. I'd like to read them again if I can find them. I also thought it showed that when a muskie was caught during the study that it left that area and did not return for some time.. They would not leave right away but after a day or so they would move out there.
Pfeiff |
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | I was involved with the Pewaukee Lake study which had multiple radio tracked muskies for multiple years through the Dr. Anderson, Chairman of the Biology Department of Wisconsin Lutheran College, sponsored by the Milwaukee Chapter of Muskies Inc. with other great financial partners.
During most of the open water times, smaller fish (34"ish) tended to stay in approximate areas of 5 acres. The bigger fish (44"ish) tended to stay in 10 acre areas.
Having said that, two males travelled together continuously throughout the 2400 acre lake. One female 45"er stayed in a 10 acre area for 5-6 days and went on a 4 mile trip to return to the base area a day later for another 5-6 days. One 45" stayed in a 5 acre area immediately adjacent to shore without regard to summer temperatures in excess of 85 degrees.
At the end of multiple years of extended radio tracking data, if you took all the tracking data and placed it on one map of Pewaukee Lake, the entire map was covered.
I have always been a proponent that the only rule is that there are no rules and the results of this study supported my claims more than not.
One discovery that did surprise us was that when the radio tracking boat approached a suspended muskie with their main motor, it appeared that the fish would drop substantially in the water column until after the boat and motor had passed. After which it would appear to rise back to its original position. We don't have any idea if the muskie would react to fishing, but just incase I now approach a fishing area much more quietly.
Edited by Steve Van Lieshout 6/23/2009 10:19 AM
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Posts: 392
Location: lake x...where the hell is it? | i caught the same fish twice this year within a foot both times 5 days apart. i and another guy i know caught the same fish this year 2 weeks apart. |
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| Muskies do develop home ranges throughout the year, with the largest movements occurring during the transitional periods (spring to summer, fall to winter). If anyone is interested, I can dig up some of the papers that show it (just drop me an email).
We have begun a tracking (and physiology) study and tagged a 47" yesterday afternoon. So far it has not moved much from the point of release (roughly less than 100m). http://projectnoblebeast.blogspot.com/ |
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Posts: 162
Location: East Troy, WI | Yeah steve i was just about to say "i attended a muskies inc meeting where they talked about how fish developed a small 5-10 acre home on pewaukee lake..." but you beat me to it. |
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How long do muskies stay in an area.